Of Ice and Shadow
by Knight of Rogues
Summary: To Blake, a member of the Thieve's Guild of Riften, it was just another job - simply get in and get out. After being caught by a young mage, however, her life was thrown out of proportion. The two forced to work together, they must uncover a dark plot, enemies on all sides as they trek across the vast expanse of Skyrim.
1. Chapter 1: A Beginning

**Hey so remember I was making a Big Bang fanfic? This is it! It's heavily based on dashingicecream's Skyrim!AU on her tumblr (DEFINITELY check it out for any checkmating needs!) I'm not really sure what to write here, so I hope you enjoy!**

 **Chapter 1**

A heavy fog settled in over Riften, filling every nook and cranny, hovering over the waters of Lake Honrich and shrouding the boats that gently rocked on the water in mist. Despite this, people still quietly bustled around the city streets. Children laughed and played, running throughout the tight alleyways. Chatter commenced in the market square as business was conducted between merchants and their usual customers.

Silently, perched atop a nearby rooftop overlooking the square, a figure smirked slightly, hood drawn around her dark hair as her amber eyes watched the shops closely. So far they'd been doing well, and the owners had been paying their protection fees on time and in full. Still, it never hurt to keep watch; plus, it never hurt if someone looked over and saw her - she _was_ trying to represent the Guild's omnipresence, after all.

"Blake? You up here?" A voice suddenly cracked out through the afternoon haze. Glancing over her leather-padded shoulder, she smiled softly as another figure strode towards her in similar armor, carefully balancing on the centerbeam of the rooftop. His hood was pulled back as he beamed, light glinting in his eyes.

"Sun. I thought you were on a job in Solitude." The monkey-faunus chuckled, dangling his legs over the edge of the rooftop casually as he leaned back.

"Just finished a couple days ago. I managed to hitch a ride with a Khajiit caravan, and that definitely shortened the trip a bit."

"Well it's certainly good to see you're back in one piece." She smiled at him, turning back to face the booths down below. The two sat beside each other in silence, listening to the occasional bark of a guard, or cries from some of the sailors, working on their boats. Suddenly Sun jerked upright, realization hitting him like a brick wall.

"Oh! Right! I was supposed to get you. Adam needs to talk to you about something." Blake's ears twitched under her hood as she flicked her eyes over to stare intensely.

"What is it? Did he say?" Sun frowned and shrugged slightly.

"I couldn't tell you. Of course, it's Adam. He doesn't really talk to people if he doesn't have to." Blake couldn't help but agree as she stood up, hearing a satisfying 'crack' from her legs as she straightened up into a more comfortable position.

"Well, no use in keeping him waiting, then." With a nod, Sun got up to follow her, the two making their way down from the rooftop and hitting the ground, their boots giving off a satisfyingly subtle noise.

"So what was the job you were working on?" Blake asked with a smile, pulling her hood back and letting her hair flow down her back, no longer confined to their enclosed prison. Sun beamed, excitement bubbling over.

"Oh man, it was so awesome! It all started when I threw open the doors to the Winking Skeever…"

-oo00oo-

"...and with _at least_ a dozen thugs on my tail, I made it out of there with all of my limbs, and the gems in hand!" The young man was just finishing his story as they walked into the Ragged Flagon, the members of the Guild mulling about quietly, only a few looking up at the pair. They had heard most of his tale on his way over, after all.

"That's quite a story." Blake smirked slightly. She had no doubt that he had blown at least a few parts of it out of proportion, but it was still amusing to listen to the excited thief as he told ever bit in vivid detail.

"And it paid well, too!" Sun beamed.

"Mind buying us a round, then?" A voice hollered from one of the Flagon's table, causing Blake to look over. Coco Adel and Velvet Scarlatina were in one corner, Coco being the source of the voice. Sun grinned and waved them off.

"As soon as you pay me back for last week's bet!" Coco beamed back, raising her mug of Honningbrew to the blonde thief and yelling back her retort. As the two bantered, Velvet glanced over at Blake, smiling.

"All's well in the square?" She perked up cheerily. Blake gave a gentle half-smile towards the girl, her chestnut rabbit ears twitching slightly.

"As usual. It seems they've finally accepted their situation with the Guild."

"I'll drink to that, if you'll join us." The girl grinned, patting the chair next to her. The raven-haired girl almost sat down until she remembered why she was even back in the Flagon.

"I'm sorry, Velvet, but I have to go speak with Adam. Apparently he wants something with me." Velvet waved the girl off nonchalantly.

"Of course, it's no problem! I still have Coco!"

"Now and forever." The young woman grinned, slinging an arm around the Faunus's shoulders and giving her girlfriend a light peck on the cheek. Blake smiled at the couple as Velvet practically melted under Coco's adoration. Digging into her pouch, she pulled out a few septims and set them on the table.

"Buy me a round for when I come back." With that she turned on her heel, heading towards the door to the cistern. As the laughs and jesting of her fellow Guild members faded away from her, she let out a shiver. She never minded Adam's briefings when she had a partner with her, but whenever he requested for her on her own, it was as if a pit began forming in the bottom of her stomach. Nonetheless, she held up her chin, took a deep breath, and pushed open the wooden doors.

The room was unusually empty, as she had feared. The tavern just behind her had definitely been fuller than normal. Was it a coincidence, or had he specifically asked for the cistern to be emptied?

Carefully crossing the arching center platform, the sound of water gently rippling beneath her feet, she found the man himself sitting behind a desk near the back faintly illuminated by a lantern resting on the hard wood. Adam Taurus. The Guild Master.

His fingers combed through his two-toned hair, focusing hard on the book before him. His gloved hand scrawled numbers, names, and assorted information across the tinted pages, filling in line after line in the records. Blake stopped a few feet away from him, hands respectfully clasped in front of her.

She stood like that a full few minutes before the man spoke, his voice deep and rumbling.

"Aren't you going to say hello?"

"Apologies, Adam. You seemed… focused."

"It's just numbers, Blake. It's not like a distraction isn't welcome here and there." He glanced up, deep brown eyes locking with her amber ones, glinting in the reflected candlelight. Blake forced herself to hold his gaze and smile.

"Sun said you needed me."

"I did." He smirked, standing up, rising to his full, almost towering height. "We got a client today asking for a very particular job to be carried out. I think your skills would be perfect."

"What do they need?"

"They wouldn't say. Truthfully, I haven't even met them, as they sent a letter with Fox, and even that was slipped into his pocket without his noticing. The only other detail they informed us of was that they'd wait for two days in The Bee and Barb for whoever we chose to send on the job."

Blake nodded slightly, rolling the thought around her head. It wasn't uncommon for their clients to attempt to hide their involvement with the Guild, but this much secrecy was… suspicious, to say the least

"So I'm to meet with them, then?"

"If you want the job. Otherwise I'll send someone else - you were just the first person to come to mind." Adam paused as he made his way around the desk. Blake felt her shoulders tensing up as he moved behind her, his hands placed firmly on her shoulders as he murmured in her ear.

"You know… maybe when you get back from the job, we can use some of that gold and go out for the night, maybe buy some mead and rent a room at the inn…?" It took the woman every ounce of strength not to flinch, forcing her breath to stay calm as she gently pushed his hands off.

"I'll… think about it." Adam smirked and backed away, sitting back down behind his desk and picking up his quill once more.

"That's all I ask, darling."

She stood there, watching him for a moment longer, making sure there wasn't anything else he wanted to say. There was not, and the cistern was filled again with the quiet dripping of water droplets hitting the rippling pool below, and the scratching of his tip against the parchment. Without a word, she turned on her heel and walked out of the chamber. She didn't allow herself to run, even if that was all she really wanted to do.

-oo00oo-

The Bee and Barb was just as it always was - silent, save for the muttering of conversation that swept through. Most newcomers to Riften always seemed to find it odd that their local tavern was lacking of a bard, but Keerava seemed to prefer it that way. Blake was no regular patron to such establishments, even in the hold she usually called home, but it always felt warm and welcoming when she stepped through the entrance.

"Blake. Good to see you're keeping in good health." A gravelly voice greeted her. The faunus turned, meeting the shifting eyes of Talen-Jei. She smiled slightly at the Argonian.

"Good to see you too, Talen." He chuckled slightly, definitely anxious by the look of his rapidly shifting eyes. She suddenly realized that usually there was only one reason for the presence of a Thieves Guild member, probably the cause of his nervousness.

"Don't worry, I'm not here about your money. You've made your payments on time, so we have no quarrel." She could almost hear the sigh of relief as his shoulders relaxed considerably before she continued. "Actually, I'm here looking for a client. I haven't a clue what they look like, so maybe you could help me?"

"Now that you mention it," he perked up, glancing at the stairs and gesturing with a thumb, "there is a strange newcomer who just stopped in. She's upstairs, first door from the top. Just knock before you go in."

"Of course. Thanks for your help." The lizard-like shopkeep gave a toothy grin before returning to his duties, moving on to a boisterous Nord shouting for more mead.

Gently, she made her way up the stairs, the wood creaking gently under each footfall as she reached the second floor of the inn. The door in question was right in front of her, silent. She almost thought it was empty, if it weren't for the light shining under the door. Moving up close, she rapped her knuckles against the wood.

"Come in!" The occupant said. The thief noted that her client was in fact a woman. Taking the invitation, she pushed the wood inwards, allowing herself to finally see who this mystery woman was.

The room itself was lightly furnished, the only added items that weren't usually there being an odd-looking dagger resting on the table, next to a variety of gems and crystals. She thought she even spied a Dwemer relic, though it was so beat up that she couldn't really tell. Sitting behind the table, smiling warmly at the newcomer, was the client herself.

She was Redguard, noted by her definitively darker skin tone and silky-black hair. A single braid looped across her forehead, winding itself into the rest of her bun that was tied off-center to her right, suspending what seemed to be a good few feet of the deep-colored locks. Blake also took note of the swirling pattern tattooed on her jaw, seemingly in golden ink. She put it in the back of her mind as the woman extended a hand to her.

"Good evening. You must be the Thieves Guild representative."

"I am." Blake gave a half-smile, taking the hand. "And you must be our mysterious client."

"I suppose I am, though it may be easier to just call me Saja." She laughed, the noise sounding silky and rich. She gestured to the chair across the table from her. "Please, sit. We have much to discuss, my young thief."

Blake nodded and sat down, relaxing as she took on a professional posture.

"My name is Blake, and I was informed that this job needs a particular… skill set?"

"That's correct." Saja smiled, ruffling around in a satchel on her bed and pulling out a rolled up parchment. Carefully, she spread it out on the tabletop, revealing an intricately drawn design of a book. Blake leaned forward, inspecting the inked-in drawings of a leather-bound tome, covered in etched gold and what seemed to be an complex locking mechanism.

"What am I looking at?" She asked aloud. Saja smirked.

"This book is of great value to me and my investigations I've been conducting. All I know for certain is that there is a great deal of information which I don't know yet, and that this tome is quite possibly the breakthrough I've been looking for." Blake stared at it for a moment longer before nodding, leaning back.

"Alright then. Where is this miracle book being kept?"

"That's the thing." The woman frowned slightly. "As far as I know, it's being held deep within the College of Winterhold." Blake frowned as well. She had only seen the Guild get a few jobs to Winterhold, and both had ended in members being treated to a lengthy visit to the prisons - or worse. Velvet was the only one to get out unscathed, and her reports were not encouraging.

"I… I see." She nodded, her ears flattening against her hair. It made sense now that Adam had sent her on this job, since she _did_ have the skills to carry it out, but it also put her in a much more dangerous situation than she had expected. Saja seemed to pick up on Blake's sudden change in energy, reaching down to her waist.

"I'm more than willing to buy your confidence, if that would help" She stated, pulling up a heavy coin purse. The clinking of septims when it was set on the table was definitely loud enough to catch the faunus's attention. The woman smiled at Blake.

"I will give you everything in this purse, and a map which will lead you to your query - on the condition that you will do this job to completion." The faunus nodded again, one of her ears twitching as she thought it over. Finally, she extended her hand to Saja, smiling.

"Consider it done."

"Excellent!" The woman pulled out a folded sheet of parchment, gently placing it in Blake's hand. "Unfortunately, I haven't a clue where it's being stored in the Arcanaeum, but I'm sure you can find it yourself. Also, I'd prefer if no blood was spilled while there - I merely want their book, not their lives."

"Bloodshed isn't exactly how the Guild works." Blake said reassuringly. "I promise I'll complete the job to your liking." Saja smiled, letting out a gasp of relief and sitting back in her chair.

"Good. Thank you." She cracked an eye open and smirked at the faunus. "I promise that you will soon see this task to be well worth it." Blake held her one-eyed gaze, nodding again as she kept her true thoughts to herself.

 _I hope I even make it that far._

-oo00oo-

It was late when she finally got back to the Flagon. Saja had briefed her on entry points, and what to expect in terms of the College's defenses, which had gone on much longer than Blake would have liked. Apart from a few restless souls who muttered amongst themselves over frothy pints of mead, the hideout was quiet as a tomb. She gave a slight wave as greeting to her comrades, who murmured something back and raised their mugs lazily. The raven-haired girl continued to the back, hands brushing against the hard, cool wood of the Cistern doors.

"I take it your little job is all set?" A voice purred from her side, causing Blake to jump. Glancing over, she saw ginger locks and a wide grin, a lone, green eye staring back at her. The girl shot him a dirty look, crossing her arms.

"That's none of your concern, Torchwick." She scowled. "And how did you even know about that?"

"Oh puh- _lease._ You think there's something Adam _doesn't_ confide in me?" He smirked, walking around her with his ever-present cane twirling slightly. "I'm his closest business partner, after all."

"I still wonder why he even let you into the Guild in the first place." Roman chuckled, moving to pinch her cheek jokingly, only to have his gloved hand sharply smacked away. His smile didn't change.

"Well, I won't keep you, pussycat. I have some business to attend to, and I'm sure you want to talk over your new client with the boss." He took a started walking away from the cat faunus before pausing and turning back.

"Oh, and before I forget - Wukong is on another midnight stroll on the rooftops. He told me to send you his way if you wanted to talk about whatever your top secret client wanted."

"I'll keep that in mind."

"Good. Loverboy would be _devastated_ if you ignored him." The words caused Blake to stiffen, but she said nothing. Partially because she wouldn't give Roman the satisfaction of a reaction, and partially because she didn't know if she could tone herself down in the event of her emotions getting the better of her. He smirked playfully before waving a gloved hand, giving a mock bow.

"Until next time." He grinned, picking up his cane and whistling softly to himself as he strolled out of the Flagon.

"I hope there won't even _be_ a next time." She muttered angrily, just out of earshot of the ginger thief. Sighing in relief as he exited the Flagon, she turned once more and pushed the doors open slowly.

Unlike earlier, the chamber was filled with a much warmer glow than it had been when she had seen Adam the first time. Most of the beds were occupied, candles flickering as members quietly read, or whispered to each other in hushed tones. She couldn't help but smile when she saw Velvet and Coco huddled next to each other in one of the beds, giggling softly as they caressed each other.

Adam glanced up from his desk, seemingly in the exact same position he had been in hours earlier, and gestured her over. She nodded and lightly made her way past the resting thieves all around her, stopping next to the desk.

"How did it go?" He asked in a hushed tone.

"Just a Redguard woman who wants me to steal her a book."

"Easy. Where from?"

"The College of Winterhold." Adam glanced up again, his eyes staring intensely at the younger woman.

"You declined, right?"  
"I'm leaving in the morning, actually." He stood up suddenly, causing Blake to jump back. His gaze locked with hers as his face set itself in stone.

"You can't take that job."

"I already have."

"Then I forbid it."

"You're the Guild Master, Adam, but I'm still allowed to choose my jobs." She hissed angrily back at him, letting a dose of fire into her speech. They stood like that, huffing softly, ignoring the stares focusing on them from a few of the beds.

For a few tense moments, Blake felt a dark wave of fear swamping over her. Adam's eyes, cold and brooding, remained locked with hers, never even blinking. She had seen that gaze before, on the rare occasions that they had fought in the past. Thinking back to then caused the wave to rise higher, and she felt herself wavering in her stance.

And just like that, it was over.

Adam huffed and sat firmly back down in his chair, averting his eyes and attempting to burn through the thick ledger before him with his gaze alone. She could still sense the displeasure that radiated off of his hunched up form, but it had trickled to annoyance at the most.

"Fine. Do what you want, just _try_ to be careful. You'd be hard to replace." He muttered before burying himself back in the book. She waited a moment before giving a stiff nod, retreating to her bed, right next to the one Coco and Velvet were lying in. Only when she felt her body sinking into the furniture did she let out a built up sigh of relief. Velvet's head popped up, looking admirably at the raven-haired girl.

"You're either the bravest thief in the Guild, or the most stubborn."

"Probably both." She grinned back tiredly, pulling the thin blanket over her body and rolling onto her side. It had been a long day, and tomorrow would be longer. As she drifted off, however, she couldn't help but worry about Adam's current attitude.

 _Oh well._ She thought lazily, slipping closer to unconsciousness. _It's just one job. It's not the first time we've clashed over this, and it certainly won't be the last._ Satisfied with the logic, she slowed her breathing and quieted her mind, finally drifting into a deep, dark sleep.

 **Let me know what you guys think! I'm super excited for how this one turns out!**


	2. Chapter 2: Winterhold

**Not a whole lot to say here, so here's chapter 2! Enjoy!**

 **Chapter 2**

The cold, biting wind stabbed into Blake harshly, causing the girl to shiver uncontrollably as she stepped off the back of the cart she had taken. The clouds gathering above her froze the air even further, hardened shards of ice and snow digging into her face as the wind shot them towards her. She pulled her hood lower, attempting to shield her eyes without blocking her sight completely.

Forcing her frozen legs to move, she pushed through the rising drifts of snow, teeth chattering. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught sight of the hanging, snow-covered sign that signaled some establishment - a merchant's shop, or maybe a tavern. She began to move towards it before catching herself. Much as she would like, she couldn't afford to wait for even a moment - the blizzard would make excellent cover for her approach, after all. Gritting her teeth, she ripped herself away from the building. Further up, the looming shadow of the college itself sent even deeper chills down her spine.

Slowly, the dark shadows formed into solid, stone steps. Carefully, she made her way towards them, the noise of her boot hitting the walkway muffled by the howling wind. When she heard noises approaching from the white-out conditions, however, she quickly darted to the side, crouching low so as to avoid detection. The noise got louder as she held her breath, and the form of an Altmer woman approached the archway.

She shivered, wrapping a cloak around her as her golden eyes scanned the surrounding area. She made no sign of leaving.

 _Divines, this is going to be harder than I thought._ Blake thought to herself as she began scanning her options. She could wait for the elf to leave; surely the cold would drive her back into the college at one point. The sound of crackling and the feeling of magicka in the air made her heart sink as a warm glow filled the archway. The elf let out a content sigh as a large, burning torch was held in front of her.

Cursing silently, she gazed once more at her surroundings, the amber orbs settling on the walkway, rising maybe 20 feet above the ground before transitioning into a bridge suspended hundreds of feet above the hidden ground. She gulped, a quiver of fear rushing through her. She had taken on heights before, but the present blizzard wasn't doing much to bolster her confidence. Taking one last look at the Altmer, and seeing she hadn't moved an inch, she took a deep breath and braced herself. Carefully, she extended an arm and gripped the edge of the bridge.

The cold bit deep into her fingertips, and she almost withdrew her hand from the freezing stone immediately. Gritting her teeth, she pressed through and added her other hand to the ledge. Holding her breath, she pulled herself up just enough to be suspended off the ground from the ledge. The elf didn't seem to notice her, bolstering her confidence slightly. Inching forward, she forced her hands to shimmy along the edge, cautious in case she'd need to escape in a hurry.

Slowly, the ground dropped away from her feet, the walkway arching upwards as the cliff rapidly increased in slope and distance until there was nothing visibly below her, fog filling between the rocky ledges that contained the chasm. She resisted the instinct to look down, continuing her long, cold trek.

She didn't see the ice, but she felt it. She also felt the gut-wrenching sensation of her body slipping as she screamed silently.

Her hands grasped wildly for some sort of grip, sliding across the frozen stone until her fingers hooked into a small crack between the stones, yanking her arms up painfully. She winced, noting that she'd need a potion for that later. Readying herself again, she poked her head over the ledge, barely able to make out the figure of the elf guarding the entrance through the heavy snow. Sighing softly, she hoisted herself up, glad to feel the narrow ledge under her boots.

The rest of the walkway seemed to be unguarded, which made sense - after all, who would want to stand outside in a blizzard to guard a _school?_ Still, she moved cautiously, crouching low as if ready to make a quick escape. She heard no one in the courtyard, and the only thing she saw apart from the swirling snow was a beaming beacon, shooting up into the swirling clouds overhead. She shivered, her amber eyes following the light momentarily before returning to the task at hand.

There were a few doors around her, under the cold stone jutting from the surrounding structure, along with a metal door in front of her. She carefully made her way towards that one, which she assumed to be the main entrance, her hand brushing briefly against the frame. She felt it bite into her hand sharply, causing her to pull back with a hiss. The low temperature had soaked into the metal, causing it to become deathly cold.

As she gripped her hand, her ears flicked, picking up slight noises coming from the other side. Gently, she placed an ear near the door, listening in.

"By the Nine, if this blizzard carries on this way, the citizens will think it's our doing as well." One voice growled, barely audible over the howling wind. Another voice seemed to join the first.

"Chin up, Phinis. It'll end soon enough."

"Easy enough to say, not as easy to believe."

Blake pulled back, a look of mild annoyance on her face. Two mages were enough, and surely there were more waiting inside. Most likely waiting out the blizzard as a group. That complicated things significantly.

Sitting down momentarily, the girl pulled out the map Saja had given her. Her finger winded across the parchment, noting that she had found the Hall of Elements, the biggest of the three halls housed within the college grounds. The woman had circled a few entrances, noting that they were doors that led to something called The Arcanaeum, the College's library. The first entrance marked was inside the hall behind her, making it a no-go. To her dismay, however, the only other doorway was above her.

Backing away from the wall, she scanned the ridge circling the courtyard, the Hall of Elements indeed extending far above her. She continued turning, looking for a way up - and it presented itself as a large tree, jutting up from the ground.

She walked up to it, her hand rubbing over the bark. It was old and smooth, years of age evident on the worn wood. However, testing the strength of the branches, she found they were still sturdy despite their wear.

"Sorry." She said softly before hauling herself upwards, her boots kicking until they found leverage on the lowest branch. The leaves jutting out helped block her from the snow and wind, giving her a temporary moment of peace.

Her hands found another branch a bit above her head, using it once more to pull herself upwards. She continued like this, slowly but surely making her way up the tree until her head poked out from the top, making sure that nobody was watching her during her climb. Satisfied, she stepped off the current branch, her landing on the stone tiling noted with a soft clicking sound from her boots.

The wind was much stronger here, and _much_ colder as compared to the semi-sheltered courtyard. She covered the side of her face with her gloved hand, fighting against the gusts that threatened to batter her over the edge to the cold stone below. She dug her heels in, taking on a sturdy stance as she made her way around the edge, the tower growing nearer and nearer.

By the time she actually reached the upper entrance, she could feel the snow caking on her face, eager to be out of the freezing cold. She had enough of her wits about her to open the door slowly, checking for any occupants. She found none.

With a sigh of relief, she threw the door open, shutting it as soon as she was inside. Instantly, she felt warmth rush over her, warming her frozen joints and easing the chattering of her teeth. She threw her hood back, letting the cold wear away from her frozen bones.

After a moment, she began examining the room she had found herself in. The Arcanaeum was large, circular, and surrounded by bookcases that formed a perimeter along the wall. Her jaw dropped slightly as she realized just how much of a task this was going to be. Carefully, she pulled out the sketch that Saja had given her, noting carefully the design of the lock, and the style of the etchings. Taking a breath, she got to work.

Throwing open the first bookshelf, she began looking through the dust-covered titles. A Dance in Fire, the Lusty Argonian Maid, Myths of Sheogorath, etc. Novice spells could be found at best here.

Shutting it, she moved on to the next in the circle, again examining the books stored inside. Mystery of Talara, Rain's Hand, the list went on and on as her finger gently swept over the binding on each tome. Blake suddenly stood back, letting out a long, exasperated sigh as she realized just how long this was going to take.

She was just starting on the third case when she heard a loud noise, like a door slamming, and the sound of footsteps ringing out from the stone staircase. Voices accompanied them.

"Are you sure you don't want me to fetch Urag for you?" One voice asked, that of an older man. Another voice responded, sounding to Blake like that of a younger girl.

"I'm fine, Klein, thank you. I've studied here enough that I'm sure I could do Ulag's job for him." The older voice chuckled softly.

"Then I shall leave you to it then. Make sure to ring if you need me."

"I'll make sure of it." The door opened and closed once more, and the other pair of footsteps continued up.

Blake began panicking as the quiet tapping of boots on stone grew closer and closer. Her gleaming eyes scanned around the circle, looking for the nearest hiding place. A deep bookshelf caught her gaze, the door slightly ajar, invitingly dark. Like a shadow, she scrambled as quietly as she could towards it, slipping in and shutting the doors shut behind her. The darkness enveloped her, and she held her breath, waiting.

The footsteps outside finally emerged from the staircase as their owner made her way into the library, humming a soft tune in an airy voice. Blake's ear perked up, trying to decrypt exactly where the song was from. Whatever it was, it sounded old - something she wasn't sure she expected from such a young girl.

Whoever it was began rustling around outside, scattering papers and shuffling books aside as she seemed to be looking for something. Suddenly, the sound of shutters being thrown open rang out sharply in the relatively quiet room, causing Blake's body to tense up more than she would've thought possible.

The girl clicked her tongue, shutting them before moving over to the next bookcase - one bookcase closer to Blake's hiding spot.

Another pair of doors opened, and again the girl muttered to herself in dismay. Judging from how far the noise was, Blake could only assume she was a few bookcases away. Surely whatever she was looking for had to be in one of those, right? The sharp sound of heels turning on the stones dragged her attention back to the outer room. Footsteps rang out once more, approaching Blake's own hiding place rapidly. The thief braced herself to be discovered.

When the adjacent doors were thrown open, she thought her heart had stopped.

"Ugh. I definitely need to let Ulag know the new initiates need a course on how to sort these." The girl grumbled in annoyance, sliding out whatever tome had been the object of her search before shutting the doors and leaving that side of the room once more. It took all Blake had to not let out a loud sigh of relief.

 _That's it, girlie. Take your spell tome and leave._ She urged in her head, waiting for the sound of footsteps heading down the stairs, followed by the sound of the heavy door down below swinging shut once more - yet it never came.

Instead, she heard the sound of a chair scraping the ground as it was pulled up to a desk, creaking softly as she sat down in it. The large book was opened, the cover making a loud thud as it hit the surface it rested on, followed by the nothingness of silence.

The girl was reading.

 _Of all times._

Blake tried to brace herself to stay in the bookcase as long as she needed too. She had been on plenty of stakeouts with Sun after all, and they'd been comfortable for hours on end. She was certain she could outlast this milk-drinker.

Until of course, she accidentally whiffed a group of dust particles.

Then she sneezed.

Everything exploded into motion faster than Blake even realized. The doors in front of her flew open, flooding her amber eyes with light from the outside. Everything was blurry as she tried to adjust to the sudden change, and her instincts kicked in. She kicked off from the back of the bookcase, propelling herself into the girl and knocking both of them - along with countless books - onto the floor. They rolled around, Blake trying to get a good grapple on her to incapacitate her, but the girl was slippier than she had expected.

The girl rolled on top of the faunus, one hand holding her down while she raised the other for attack. A slim fist connected with Blake's jaw. It didn't hurt much, but it was enough to kick the thief's adrenaline into overdrive. With a grunt, she kicked her attacker off of her, hoisting them both onto their feet before nimbly kicking the other girl's leg out from under her, causing them to collapse, with Blake on top this time.

From there, it was short work as she knelt on her legs, hands holding her arms down by the wrists. Blake's eyes had adjusted at this point, and she finally got a good look at her assailant. She forced herself not to react as she took in the details.

The girl didn't look much older than herself - younger, probably. Snow white hair fell in locks about her face and surrounded her head, like an aura of clouds. Gleaming, ice-blue eyes glared daggers at her, peering up from skin paler than Blake's own. She was incredibly slender, which caused Blake to have a new respect for how much of a fight she had given. In fact, she was grateful that she was already red from the fight - it hid her rapidly-growing blush.

"Unhand me!" The girl spat. "Otherwise, I'll have the guards send you to Sovngarde ten times over!"

"Only if you can get me off of you, princess." Blake smirked, letting herself crush on top of the girl a little more for emphasis. The snow-haired girl gritted her teeth, and light flashed from her clenched fist. Blake looked at her quizzically until she felt monstrously strong arms yank her off of the mage roughly, suspending her over the air. She twisted as best as she could to see what was going on, her face paling when she got her answer. A hulking, glowing spectral knight had locked it's arms around hers, it's head nearly touching the ceiling. It barely gave Blake a glance, watching it's summoner intently.

The mage stood up off the ground, dusting herself off before giving a smirk.

"That'll teach you to mess with a Schnee." Blake's eye twitched in irritation, but she knew when she was bested. She held her chin high, locking eyes with the girl.

"So? Finish it then. Kill me, or call the guards, or… something." The girl pondered before sighing, taking a seat once more as she faced the captive Thieve's Guild member.

"I could. Divines know it would be best."

"What's stopping you? Don't have the stones?" Blake chuckled, though she shut up immediately when the girl gave her the coldest stare of anyone she had ever met. She held the glare for a moment longer before sighing out in frustration.

"I _could_ … but I'm tired of making the guards clean up after me." She groaned. "Another foiled attack on the Arch-Mage's daughter. I'm sure it's a joke to them at this point. Another princess who can't defend herself."

"I don't see you having that problem." Blake scoffed, looking once more at the ever-still spectral. She gave a dry chuckle, throwing her hands up in exasperation.

"Well, I appreciate the vote of confidence, thief. Gods, I don't even know why I'm talking to you. You should be in a cell by now." The raven-haired girl stayed silent as her captor rubbed her temples. Suddenly, she spoke up once more.

"What are you even doing here? Very few take any interest in the College these days, and you don't look like you're interested in studying magicka."

"I was… looking for something." The girl snorted.

"That much I thought was obvious. What specifically?" Blake opened her mouth to respond snarkily when her eyes widened, catching sight of one of the books in a case, pressed up against the back wall of the room. It was the same book as the one from Saja's illustration; the markings were unmistakable, glittering slightly in the light.

The white-haired girl noticed the change in expression on Blake's face, tracking her gaze to the book of interest. She looked back at the faunus questioningly.

"This?" She asked, bewilderment evident in her tone. "Are you certain?" Blake stayed motionless for a moment before nodding slightly. The girl crossed her arms.

"Explain."

"I don't have to explain myself to the likes of you." The massive arms holding the thief's arms tightened, reminding her sharply of her position. She sighed, her jet-black ears flattening against her head.

"If I do, will you let me go?"

"No promises." She snapped, tapping her foot impatiently. The thief nodded.

"Well for starters, I have no personal interest in the book. The Thieves Guild got a client, a woman who expressed a great amount of longing for that exact tome."

"Did she say why?"

"Research."

The girl hummed, deep in thought. Swiftly, she moved towards the case, pulling out a small key and lifting off the lid, pulling the book out gently. Walking back towards the faunus, she set it gently onto the desk she had been studying, sliding her hand over the weathered cover as she took on a stately tone.

"This book is old, and that also means it's dangerous. Ulag doesn't let any of the novice students here even go near it, let alone read it. If he's translated it correctly - what bits he could translate, at least - it seems to have a long and deep connection with powerful magic." She turned a sharp eye to her captive with a frown.

"Whoever hired you obviously has an unusually deep knowledge of the study. Who was your client again?"

"I can't say." Blake said smugly. The girl scoffed before giving off a deep sigh, collecting herself before trying again. To the faunus's sudden surprise, the arms holding her back dropped her to the ground, vanishing and leaving the air with a sharp taste. The girl extended a hand to her.

"I'm Weiss. Perhaps we got off on the wrong foot, thief, though I'm sure you can understand why." Blake eyes Weiss's hand warily, the sudden shift in her tone filling her with a sense of caution. She tentatively grasped her hand, relieved to find she did nothing but pull her off the floor. "Your name is?"

"...Blake."

"Well, Blake, allow me to stress why your _client_ is a problem." The mage smirked dryly as she opened the book to a specific page, finger running across the ancient runes that dotted the yellow parchment.

"What we've translated so far says that this book was used for summoning - what it would summon is unknown at the moment, though it's incredibly likely that it's old magic. Back in the early days, magic was wild and untamable - which means if she were to try to summon it, there's no telling if she could control what came out or not." Blake nodded along, focused on the paper until Weiss slammed her hand on the table, causing her to jump. Looking down, she saw the young mage looking up at her with a blaze lighting in her blue eyes, a curious frown on her face.

"Did you meet with her? Did she have any specific items that caught your eye?"

"M-Maybe? I just… look." Blake took a step back, sharply inhaling. "I don't have all the answers, alright? If you want more, why don't you find her yourself?" The girls stared at each other intensely for a moment, neither moving. Blake forced herself to keep her eyes locked with Weiss's, not daring to let them roam over her - her magicka was most likely powerful to do any number of unpleasant things to her with a glance.

Suddenly, Weiss nodded, walking past Blake towards the stairwell.

"Absolutely. I'll pack my bags, and we'll be off."

" _We_?" Blake scoffed indignantly, spinning on her heel to follow the mage. The white-haired girl froze, confusion on her face.

"Of course?" She said with a half-chuckle, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Aren't you the _slightest_ bit concerned about the possible consequences of this woman unlocking the secrets she's chasing after?"

"Of course I would be, but… look, a job's a job." She said, reaching for the book. A shard of ice suddenly appeared next to her hand, embedded deep into the old wood and causing the faunus to yank her arm back.

"Fine!" Blake yelled. "Keep your damn book, and you don't have to worry about it anymore!"

"There's more than one way to complete a summoning, you fool!" The girl shouted back, taking on an aggressive stance. "She'll probably begin looking for those as soon as you show up empty handed!"

"More power to her, then." Blake grumbled, stalking past the girl and reaching for the door handle. Weiss let out an undignified squeak at the _audacity_ of this common thief.

"Don't you _dare_ leave." She spoke in an icy-cold tone. Blake glanced over her shoulder, looking at the petite, robed form of this fiery mage with eyes ablaze in boiling anger. She smirked, letting out a chuckle.

"Good luck, princess." She calmly exited the room, shutting the door behind her and beginning to walk away. The spikes of ice shooting through the wood quickly caused her to change her pace, sprinting along the rim surrounding the courtyard, leaving the fuming girl behind her - and with any luck, this whole mess was staying behind with her.


	3. Chapter 3: A New Contract

**Chapter 3 has arrived!**

 **Chapter 3**

Saja took the news surprisingly well.

Blake stood in front of her, ears folded back apologetically as she explained.

"The book would have been easy to acquire, but the mages posed to be too much of a threat. I would be in a cell, or much worse, if the spectral holding me hostage hadn't faltered and given me the chance to slip out."

Saja had been sipping at a small glass of tea, ceasing and setting it down and giving Blake a warm smile.

"My dear, think nothing of it. The College is notorious for guarding their secrets well, of course I knew it wasn't going to be an easy task."

"I still have the coin, and the map." The girl quickly added. "Let me run back to the Guild and I can be back with them." The Redguard woman laughed, waving her off.

"Keep them. I have no need for them." She picked up her glass, drinking down the last of the liquid before standing up, pushing back from the table.

"Well, no use dwelling on the past. Blake, thank you for your effort. I appreciate the fact that you even took on the task."

"Absolutely. I'm really sorry that I couldn't complete it." The woman nodded.

"Anyways, I had best be preparing to leave in the morning."

A flicker of doubt crossed across Blake's mind as she remembered the mage's words back at the college.

 _There's more than one way to complete a summoning, you fool!_ The words rang out sharp in her head. She could almost see the blazing anger flaring up in the girl's bright blue eyes, her lip quivering in anger and her face flushing with rage. Blake couldn't help but smirk, until she noticed her face getting rather warm.

"Blake?" Saja's voice broke her out of her stupor, and she realized that she had been staring aimlessly into space.

"I-I'm sorry. What?" She stammered, trying to recover from her embarrassment. Saja chuckled.

"I was asking if you would please allow me to have the room to myself."

"Of course!" She nodded shakily, cheeks burning as she fumbled for the door handle. The woman grinned.

"I'm sure whoever you were thinking of is eager for a visit." The image of ice shards splintering through the ancient wood of a door flashed briefly in the young thief's mind, causing her to chuckle in return.

"...I think not." She smirked before stepping out, shutting the door behind her.

As she stepped out of the Bee and Barb, she noted the fog that had been present earlier had lifted, the clouds parting and allowing the incredible rare opportunity for a sunny day to make an appearance. She smiled as the warm light hit her face, giving off a small hum. She had no further jobs for the day, which meant she could enjoy the day.

The walk back down to the Cistern through the graveyard passageway was short, and she walked straight to her bunk, rooting around in the large chest near the foot of the bed for one of her books to take back out with her.

She was so focused on her search that she didn't hear the person walking up behind her until she felt their hand grip your shoulder, causing her body to tense up rigidly. It didn't help when she heard the silky voice that accompanied it.

"So how'd she take the news?" Adam spoke in a soft voice, as if trying not to disturb the peace of the Cistern. Blake shuddered softly at the hand, slipping her shoulder away from the grip. Adam made no move to grab it again.

"Pretty well." She shrugged, attempting to seem nonchalant. "She said it wasn't a big problem, and decided she'd be leaving in the morning."

"Well that's good. Maybe she'll call on our services again sometime." An awkward silence filled the room, neither saying a word. Adam tried to speak again, before Blake beat him to it.

"I have… things to take care of."

"Of course." He smiled, brown eyes never seeming to leave her face. She nodded before slipping around him, making her way back towards the exit. He stepped back, though she could feel his hard gaze burning into her, discomfort steadily growing as his eyes roamed.

"Until we next meet, my dear."

She was overjoyed when she finally got above ground.

She made her way to the sharp drop-offs that led far below, ending with the frigid channels that poured into Lake Honrich. Her heart had been beating a mile a minute in the Cistern, but was finally lowering itself once more. Blake exhaled softly, easing up from some of the tension that had been straining on her muscles.

She dangled her legs over the ledge, cracking open the well-preserved book and settling in to read it. She tried to delve into the writing, but soon realized her mind could do nothing more than scan the familiar lines, the back of her mind plagued with ever-present thoughts. She knew she had to stop letting Adam get to her like he had just then, like he had been for months. She had to stand up to him.

She suddenly shook her head, as if to dispel the thoughts swimming around her head. Adam was overbearing, but had never become aggressive - there couldn't be any real danger.

She briefly remembered the sight of him standing above her, eyes burning fiercely as he vehemently forbade her from accepting Saja's contract. In that moment, and in many like it, he had been genuinely terrifying. His aura gave off waves of threatening behavior, swamping her and causing her to pale, barely able to hold herself from trembling.

She jumped as a splash sounded nearby, alert and ready for anything until she realized it was just a fisherman stepping into his boat down below. She sighed, forcing her tense muscles to relax. Adam was being cautious, nothing more - even if he could be a bit over-the-top.

With that cleared away, she straightened herself and focused once more on the book, this time finally able to fall into a steady beat as she read. The day was bright, the air was warm. Any concerns she had could be pushed away for a little while longer, and she could allow herself to simply sit and enjoy this moment.

-oo00oo-

It had been a few weeks since her last job. Blake had been out collecting security payments from local vendors, which she found relatively relaxing and smooth-going - the Guild had held a pretty steady grip on the town, and most of its citizens seemed to hold them in a high enough respect to pay up relatively quickly.

She slipped back into the Flagon, a purse of coins secured in her pouch, when she heard shouts and clanging metal coming from the shelter. She flattened her ears, readying her grip on the hilt of her dagger as she prepared for whatever might be causing the ruckus.

As she pushed open the door, she was greeted by the last thing she expected. The inhabitants of the hall were shouting and clapping, some of them dancing around. A few had taken up stray pots, beating on them to create a steady beat as a few more brought out lutes and flutes, creating a lively tune that filled the room. She noted that quite a few of the thieves around her were definitely intoxicated.

As she parted the crowd, a bewildered smile steadily growing on her face, she one pair of dancers in particular swirling in the center of the room. Velvet and Coco were beaming, spinning and stepping as if there was no tomorrow.

"What did I miss? I was only gone a few hours." She shouted over the music, chuckling with an amused expression. Velvet broke away from her dance partner, giggling with an overjoyed attitude.

"Oh, Blake! Look!" She beamed, holding up a gleaming amulet that hung around her neck. A teal jewel glittered brightly in the center, a dead giveaway to what it was. Blake's smile grew into a grin, clasping the rabbit faunus's hands.

"So THAT'S what this is about! Who's the lucky winner?" She asked. As if on cue, Coco waltzed over, slinging her arm around the smaller girl and planting a wet kiss on her cheek, beaming.

"Sorry, Belladonna, but this cutie is alllll mine~!" She giggled, causing Velvet to flush a deep red. Blake smiled warmly at the couple, feeling the pure joy radiating off of them.

"I'm very happy for both of you." She said happily, feeling an odd twinge in the back of her mind as the words left her mouth. The two girls squeezed her hands tightly before giggling at each other, moving back onto the dance floor. The raven-haired thief watched them go, the feeling still ebbing at the edge of her conscious mind.

A finger tapped at her shoulder, and she turned to find herself face to face with Roman. She frowned.

"Not now, Torchwick, it's a happy occasion."

"I'm not here to bicker, kitty cat." He chuckled. "I'm here to let you know there's a new contract here. No name, only putting out feelers for a thief."

"Again?"

"Seemingly. The difference is this time, she asked for you personally." Blake did a double take, turning to face the ginger man.

"What was her name?"

"I can't say." He smirked, shrugging nonchalantly. "Keerava merely mentioned it to me when I swung through for a drink - you'll have to check out the rest yourself."

Blake looked back at the party, sighing. Roman noticed her gaze and smirked.

"I'd recommend going now. From the sound of things, she's very eager to meet with you." Blake grumbled at the fact that she had only just gotten back before nodding with a huff.

"Fine. Can you bring these payments to Adam?"

"I promise." He smirked, clenching the pouch in his gloved hand. "Now get out of here. Your client awaits." Blake scowled at his tone before turning away from the party. Another hand gripped her shoulder, causing her to whip around.

"What is it now?" She snapped, instantly regretting it when she saw Sun, confusion evident on his face as he held a tankard in his hand.

"S-Sorry, I just wanted to see where you w-were going is all." He chuckled awkwardly, tail swishing side to side. Blake sighed.

"Sorry I snapped at you, Sun. I'll be back soon, Roman just told me there's a client looking for me personally."

"Forget 'em." He smirked, taking a swig of his mead. "It's a Guild holiday." She giggled softly, shaking her head.

"It's better if I go now. I won't be gone long." The blonde faunus did nothing for a moment before shrugging with a nod.

"I'll save you some mead."

"You do that." She smiled before turning back to the passage towards the Ratway, the noise of the party slowly fading out behind her as she reentered the passage she had just come from, shivering slightly as the warm light of the Flagon was replaced with the cold, damp stone of the sewers.

It felt all-too familiar as she emerged from the dark hallways, coming out into the pale light that filtered through Riften's cloud layer. It was yet another overcast day, a breeze floating through that caused her to shiver through her armor.

She steadily climbed the stairs up to the market square, her actions echoing those from only a few weeks before - though it felt like it had been much longer. The Bee and Barb came into view as she quickened her pace, hoping to get out of the ever-present chilly air. As she pushed the doors open, a wave of heat rolled over her, causing her to sigh.

The fire had been built up to fill the room with heat, quiet muttering around the room as people enjoyed warm food and fresh mead. Keerava took notice of her as soon as the thief entered the room, nodding her head.

"Upstairs." She stated in a raspy tone. Blake nodded thankfully, wasting no time as she once more made her way up the creaking wooden steps towards the upper floor.

As she stood in front of the room, she felt an air of discomfort settle on her mind. Something felt off about this - foreboding, even. Part of her told her to just turn back and deny the job, but in the back of her mind, she knew she needed to see whoever it was. Steadying her breath, she reached out and slowly opened the door.

A figure in a dark cloak stood at the table, ruffling around some papers when Blake entered, causing her to whip around. The faunus gasped as bright, ice-blue eyes stared at her, locks of snow-white hair falling in front of her face.

"Y-You again!" The girl made an attempt to backpedal out of the room when Weiss shot a hand out, magicka arching forward and causing ice to appear in the seam of the doorframe, effectively trapping Blake in the confined quarters. Weiss pulled a chair out, gesturing to it.

"Don't speak. Sit." She said sternly. Blake gulped, slowly complying as she eased into the chair, wood creaking slightly. Weiss sat on the bed, pulling her hood back all the way to allow her white hair to flow down around her shoulders. They sat for a moment, completely silent as they stared at each other. Blake cleared her throat.

"Uh… h-hello again." She tried, scratching the back of her head. Weiss huffed, leaning forward.

"Listen. Blake." Her ears twitched as the young mage said her name, Blake slightly amazed she still remembered it. "I understand your reasoning for wanting to leave this behind you, I would if I could." She stooped down and brought out a sheet of parchment, runes and lettering scattered across the surface. "But I've translated more of the book, and it's just too important to leave alone."

"Straight to the point, I see." Blake muttered under her breath, reading over the text. Her amber eyes scanned each rune and letter, mind whirring as a few words began popping out.

"What exactly is this?"

"This is more about the _nature_ of the book." Weiss explained, a bit of excitement in her voice as she walked around Blake, pressing against her side and pointing around the page. The closeness made it hard for the faunus to pay attention as the smaller girl went into a flurry of explanation.

"You remember when I said this book was for old summoning techniques?" Blake nodded for Weiss to continue. "Well, after translating some of the larger passages, I've noticed words popping up here and there. Earthshatter, Harbinger, and this word." She gestured to a set of scrawled out runes. "I don't have an exact translation, but I believe it's something similar to veil, or shadow."

Blake's head whirled as she tried to take in all of the information, Weiss waiting patiently as she processed what she had heard. She slowly nodded, starting to understand.

"So… so this veil, what do you think it is?"

"Bad news, that's for sure." The mage said in a serious tone, pondering. "Earthshatter also sounds like trouble, though I still haven't a clue what it could be referring to." The raven-haired faunus glanced over at the mage.

"You translated this on your own? I thought this was from the First Era?"

"My father insisted that my sister and I pursue high goals. Ancient text has always been a fascination of mine." Weiss said nonchalantly, setting the paper back on the table and ruffling around for another. She pulled out a new piece of parchment, filled with much more text than the first.

"This is something Ulag was working on translating, he pulled it out when he noticed my work with the book." She explained, setting it out. "As you can see, he's made multiple notes of one repeated phrase."

"The Return." Blake murmured softly. "The coming of men back to Tamriel."

"Exactly. And what's more, they specifically mention Ysgramor, here and here." Weiss pointed to the lines of text, her brow furrowed in intense concentration. "While it _could_ just be mentioning him in a historical sense, but… what if Ysgramor knew something about the purpose of this book?"

"What, you expect us to go to Sovngarde to ask him?" Blake scoffed. Weiss shot her a dirty look, halting the faunus's laugh in her throat before continuing.

" _No,_ I do not. However, Ysgramor's descendants may have gleaned some of his knowledge from him." Blake's amber eyes lit up as she realized what the young mage was saying. A spark of excitement flashed inside her as she whipped her head around.

"Whiterun."

" _Exactly._ " The younger girl beamed, a rare smile cracking on her face. "The Companions are the most obvious lead. We simply need to travel to their hall, and-"

"Wait just one moment." Blake said suddenly, snapping out of her excitement. "I can't go with you."

"Why not?" Weiss asked with an exasperated sigh. "You've seen this woman, the things she had with her-"

"I know her face and a possibly fake name!" Blake stood up as she argued with the mage. "She didn't have anything of note that I saw in here!"

"Fine." Weiss huffed, hastily standing up and striding to a satchel in the corner of the room, digging around in it. Pulling her hand out, Blake saw her fist clenched tightly around the top of the fattest coin purse she had seen in a long time. The septims inside clinked enticingly as Weiss's eye burned into her.

"I will pay you everything in this purse if you accompany me. That's nearly fifteen-hundred septims, Blake. Even a master thief like you can't turn up your nose to that kind of money."

Blake's eyes followed the jingling pouch closely, conflict building visibly on her face as Weiss smirked. That was a lot of gold. More than most jobs ever brought in. On the other hand, she _had_ told herself to leave this girl and everything she was suggesting behind her. It was better for the Guild - better for _herself_ \- if she didn't go on some outlandish quest to get herself hurt.

But that was a lot of gold.

The faunus let out a long sigh.

"Fine. I'll travel with you to Whiterun, and from there, you can hire a mercenary or one of the Companions from there."

"I suppose that's the best offer I'm going to get out of you." Weiss agreed, extending a hand to Blake. The thief shook it in a firm grip before extending a hand to grip the purse. Weiss yanked it back with a playful smirk, causing Blake to growl in annoyance. The mage scoffed.

"You really think I'll pay you in advance? I'll pay you when we reach Whiterun, no sooner."

"How do I know you'll be good on _your_ word?" The faunus asked with a grumble, amber eyes gleaming. Weiss nodded firmly.

"I am a woman of my word. It's a value my family holds in high regard." She stated simply. Blake gave a half nod, the two of them slipping into momentary silence. Blake crossed her arms, putting off an air of disinterest, though she couldn't help but glance over at the girl. To her surprise, she caught Weiss turning her own gaze away at the last moment. She said nothing of it, assuming it was just coincidence.

Finally, Weiss cleared her throat.

"Ahem… well, I suppose I should retire." She said shortly, a light flush dancing on her face as she set the coin purse in her table's drawer. "Meet me at the city gates the morning after tomorrow, and we'll be on our way."

"Alright." Blake stood up, moving to the door. Weiss followed close behind her, gripping the door as the thief stepped out. Before closing the door, the mage looked down at her feet briefly.

"...Have a good night." She mumbled out before shutting the door quickly, leaving Blake alone in the hallway. The faunus watched the smooth wood a moment longer before turning abruptly, heading back down the stairs into the main area of the tavern below. She could do with a drink before going back to the Flagon.

-oo00oo-

It was later than she had anticipated when Blake finally re-entered the Flagon. The party from earlier was long-dead, a few people still drinking or picking away at leftovers. She noted Velvet and Coco were nowhere to be found. She also had a general idea of where they probably were, and what they were probably doing. She decided to let them be.

She moved into the Cistern, populated by the drunken snoring of Guild members. The only one awake, of course, was Adam, who glanced up at the intrusion.

"Blake." He rumbled out. "You missed the party."

"I attended for a short while." She said in as steady of a tone as she could manage as she moved to her bed. She was too tired to deal with him just then. She flopped down with a sigh of relief, head sinking into the pillow. Her body stiffened when she heard his voice ring out again.

"Where were you?" He asked. She shrugged, not daring to turn her head enough to meet his look.

"Torchwick told me about a client asking for me."

"I see." He nodded, pondering. "Who was it?"

"Just… a girl."

"Asking for you specifically?"

"Must've heard of me before." She could feel annoyance growing within him, beginning to roll off in a hot, burning wave. She didn't even flinch this time.

She heard his chair scrape backwards, his heavy bootsteps ringing out as he plodded towards her, halting a foot away.

"You deserve a break."

"After this one."

"No, _before_ this one." He growled. "Tell the client you have to decline."

"I already took her money."

"Then it's her loss!" He slammed a fist down on the bedside dresser, breathing heavily as he glared at Blake's turned back. She didn't dare glance over her shoulder, feeling those eyes burning into her. She wished that at least a few of the drunken thieves around her would wake up, leaping to her side - yet nobody stirred.

"At least give me a real name." He finally said after a moment of tense silence. She sighed.

"She's a mage from the college." Adam's eyes shot up, his arm shooting around and gripping her shoulder tightly as he pulled her up from her place on the bed, hissing inches from her face.

"Blake, this is a trap!"

"I don't think so-"

"Of course it is! We know how the mages _love_ to conspire. You know as well as I that they don't simply forgive."

"I… I _trust her,_ Adam."

"Then you're dumber than you look." He growled, their eyes locked, his burning in anger, hers widening in fear. He slowly loosened his grip, stepping back gently. His aura had suddenly changed from fiery rage to a cold, quiet anger.

"You are not to leave the Flagon unless I give you permission." He said, his voice steady and venomous. "When it is given to you, you will stay within Riften's walls. It is obvious some… time off of the job will be good for your overworked mind." Blake stood suddenly, gaping as he laid down rules as if he was her father. He began walking to the Cistern doors, glancing over his shoulders.

"I hope some time to yourself gives you a chance to clear your head." He glowered before shutting the doors behind her, leaving her in the room, silent save for the chorus of snores filling the chamber.

Blake let out a shout of frustration, slamming her boot against the leg of the bed, hearing the wood creak dangerously as she sat back down on it with a huff. If looks could kill, the floor would have withered away as she glared burning daggers into the stone.

She came to a decision, all doubts from earlier that night gone from her mind. She would leave the Flagon as soon as Adam turned his back. She would accompany Weiss to Whiterun. Not for the gold. Not for Weiss.

She would do it for herself, using the opportunity to leave the Guildmaster fuming in his boots, her smirking far away.

And she knew exactly who to ask for help.


	4. Chapter 4: The Long Road Ahead

**Chapter 4**

"And you're sure that this is the best idea? I mean, Adam can get bad, for sure, but maybe leaving him in the dust isn't the best course…"

"Are you going to help me or lecture me?" Blake hissed at Sun, the two of them quietly making their way through the maze of the Ratway. The blonde teen shrugged, hoisting his torch over his head.

"I dunno, I'm just trying to look out for you."

"Believe me, this is best for both him and I." She said in a gentle tone, eyes staring forwards as she took another passageway, feeling the breeze growing as they approached the exit. Her torch light flickered across a rickety, wooden door, which she pushed open with ease. Pale dawn light filled the passageway as she stepped into the chilly early morning, Sun wrapping his cloak tighter around him.

"Well… alright. I'll keep this on the down-low like you asked." He kicked the ground, looking down. "I just… I hope you'll be okay." Blake glanced back, amber eyes taking in the sight before her. She gently placed a hand her friend's shoulder.

"I'll be fine. I promise." She smiled. Sun glanced up, a smile cracking across his face.

"I trust you." Blake nodded, pulling away and making her way up the creaking, weathered wooden stairs.

"Oh! There's something I needed to ask you!" He piped up from below her, drawing her attention back to him. She glanced over the side of the steps.

"What is it? I need to be at the gates."

"I just… well…" He returned to looking at the ground, scratching the back of his head. "I was thinking about Coco and Velvet, and… uh… I was wondering if we-"

"Sun." She said in a flatter tone than she had intended, wincing inside as she saw the blow land on him. "I know what you're about to say, and I… let's talk about it when I get back." Sun's mouth dropped, his voice struggling to spit out the words he had been stumbling over before shutting it with a sigh.

"Sure. I'll, uh. See you then." She held his gaze a moment longer, nodding. He broke away, slipping back into the passageway and disappearing from sight. She let out a sigh, wishing she could have tried to turn him down easier than that - if he had even realized she was turning him down in the first place. She shook the thoughts from her head, trying to focus.

She had a job to do.

The morning streets of Riften were quiet, nearly empty save for a few merchants hoping to set up shop before the coming rush. She hugged her cloak to her body, shivering slightly as she hoisted a sack of belongings over her shoulder. Her boots rang out softly, echoing off of the wooden buildings surrounding her as she made her way to the gates.

True to her word, Weiss was waiting there. The mage's face visibly lit up as she saw the approaching thief, beaming at Blake.

"You actually came!"

"I got some new incentive." She said in a bland voice, glancing at the rooftops to confirm that there were no prying ears that had been planted by Adam. "So how are we getting there?"

"A cart is waiting out at the stables." Weiss smiled, hoisting her own bags up, surprising Blake with the strength packed into such a small frame. "Shall we go?" Blake nodded, following the white-haired girl past the gates of Riften, the heavy wooden doors slowly closing shut behind them. She didn't let herself relax though; she likely wouldn't until they were well past the borders of the hold.

The morning was quiet as they made their way to the stable. The cart was ready to go, the driver glancing back with a friendly smile.

"Climb in back, and we'll be off." Weiss uttered her thanks, tossing her bag in the cart and hauling herself in. Blake followed her, slumping her bag beside her and stretching out on the bench. She could feel the effects of waking up earlier than normal wearing on her brain, feeling a little fuzzy as she let out a yawn. Weiss glanced up at the noise, pulling out the tome and flipping it open.

"If you'd like to catch some sleep, don't let me stop you." She suggested. "I know this probably wasn't the most ideal time to meet at."

"You sure?" She asked, crossing her arms behind her head as she glanced over. Weiss nodded, settling into the seat.

"I'll wake you if anything happens." Blake let herself smile at the mage, appreciating the gesture.

"Thanks. Just let me know if you need me." She yawned again, stretching out. She shut her eyes, letting the gentle bumping of the cart rock her to slumber. She cracked an eye open, watching Weiss pore over the book intently. She gave a soft smirk as she slowly drifted off with that image. She had a feeling it was going to be an interesting two weeks.

-oo00oo-

Blake was in the midst of a dream. At first, it seemed like a good one. The sun shone down brightly, and she was walking down an open street. She somehow was without any fears. She wasn't looking over her shoulder every few steps, checking for an assassin hired by a disappointed customer. She smiled and greeted passersby who waved some form of hello. She felt… content.

"Blake!" A voice echoed around her, an intense tone ringing in her ears as she whipped around to find the source of the noise. The sunshine died out in the sky, the world around her fading as she honed in on the voice.

"Blake! Get up!" The voice said again. She thought she could almost recognize it's owner. She saw snow.

"Blake, this is serious!" Weiss hissed in an urgent tone. Blake shot up, her eyes wide as the sleep completely leaves her mind.

"I'm up. What's going on?" Weiss glanced around them, causing Blake to do the same. Her face paled as she saw the reason for her rude awakening. Surrounding the cart was a circle of bandits, blades glinting in the dull light that filtered down. She also noted high walls of stone rising on either side of them, surrounding the valley path that they had entered.

"How long was I out?"

"We've been traveling for a few hours." Weiss said in a low tone. "They came from the hills, we couldn't do a thing." She shuddered as she saw the desire-filled glint in the eyes of a few of the men, and even a few women. "What's the plan?"

Blake's mind was racing to find a way out of their predicament when one bandit in particular stepped forward, brandishing a large warhammer. His bearded face split into a smile.

"Ladies, ladies. You are in the presence of the local chief, Eldjor Bear-Claw. Your obedience in this interaction would be… most beneficial. Your driver is a good example of such." Blake's eyes followed the large man's gesturing hand, resting on the slumped form of their driver. Arrows stuck out across his back, blood soaking through the fabric of his clothing.

"He tried to get us out of here as soon as he realized what was going on." Weiss explained in a hushed, grave tone. "We got a few feet before the shot him."

"Now, onto the finer points of our exchange." The bearded man chuckled in a large, booming voice. "Hand over all your gold, your belongings, and… we'll keep things interesting - your clothes as well."

Blake eyed up the bandits, quietly whispering to the mage beside her.

"Can you summon some sort of blast? Preferably something that can give me cover."

"Just say the word." Weiss nodded softly watching the group around them warily.

"Well? We're waiting." Eldjor grinned. Blake reached to unfasten the straps in her armor before shouting.

"Do it!"

A large blast of ice launched at the ground, followed by a ball of fire close behind. Steam rolled out in a thick cloud, shrouding everyone in the area.

"Don't get caught with your pants down! Get them!" The chief growled out loudly, holding steadfast. Blake leaped over the side of the cart, gripping a pair daggers tightly as she lunged for the first bandit. Before he could even bring up his sword to block her, the blades were embedded in his neck, blood spewing out. Another man noticed the girl, charging with his axe. She ducked under the blow, slashing upwards and hearing a satisfying groan of agony uttered by him.

She noted a pair of women already lying on the ground, blood pooling underneath them. She glanced over at Weiss, who nodded in confirmation that she had been their assailant. Blake whipped around, slashing at the chest of another bandit, feeling her dagger slashing through the fabric of his clothing. He slumped to the ground with a groan, leaving only one more…

"Blake! Look out!" Weiss cried out. Blake glanced over her shoulder, scrambling to the side at the last moment as the chief's warhammer slammed into the dirt she had been on a mere second before, the earth denting and cracking from the force. He turned, his arrogant smirk having turned into a threatening glare.

"Should've complied when you had the chance, lass. Now I'm gonna enjoy killing the both of you." He chuckled darkly, hoisting his hammer back up. She noted the rippling muscles on his arms, showing that he probably had years of practice with it. She gulped, bringing her daggers back up for the fight ahead.

He swung downwards again, a quick sidestep being all she needed to roll away from the attack. She glanced at the gleaming, deadly spikes coating the flat side of the weapon, not wanted to experience how those felt on a body. He planted his foot in the ground, swinging it back towards her in a nasty uppercut. She stepped back, using the change in position to propel herself forward as an opening showed itself. Her daggers met their mark, embedding themselves in the man's chest.

He howled in pain, blood seeping down the front of his clothes. To her shock, his hand shot forward, squeezing itself tightly around her neck and pulling herself away from his body, the blades still deep in his chest. He threw her hard onto the ground, the wind knocked out of her and leaving her a gasping, struggling mess.

He stood over her, his hammer raised above his shoulders. He flashed a grin.

"I'll feed your remains to the wolves, girl." He raised his warhammer above his head, and she braced herself for the feeling of iron crashing into her skull.

The feeling never came. Instead, she only heard a gurgling noise. Cracking her eyes open, she saw a slender blade extended through the man's throat, blood bubbling up in his throat as he struggled to form words. The needle-like sword slashed to the side, leaving Eldjor to crumple to the side, blood pooling from the wound. Her eyes followed the sword to find it resting in the trembling hands of the young mage.

"I… I did it." Weiss breathed, a smile of relief cracking upon her face. "I didn't know if I could pierce such a small area, but… I did it." Blake chuckled, picking her tense body from the dirt and brushing herself off, taking a moment to spit on the corpse beside her.

"Why the surprise? I'm sure you're a master swordswoman, to have such an elegant weapon." She said, admiring the shimmering weapon, decorated in engravings and gleaming gems. Weiss blushed, tucking the rapier aside.

"Extravagant as it is, it was a gift. Truth be told, I'm actually… rather clumsy with anything other than magic." Blake looked over, smiling softly. It was nice knowing something new about this girl.

Checking the front of the cart, the thief felt her stomach drop. The driver's body had already stiffened, flies beginning to swarm around the fresh kill. What lowered her spirits further was the fact that the horse had also been killed, arrows and slashes riddling it's body. Weiss came up beside her, clicking her tongue.

"Savages." She muttered. Blake agreed silently, placing her hands on her hips.

"Our biggest problem is if we've only been travelling a few hours, Whiterun is still a day's journey from here, maybe longer if entirely on foot." Weiss sighed.

"I suppose nothing else can be done." She walked to the back of the cart, hoisting up her bag and hefting it onto her shoulders. "We'd best be moving now." Blake nodded, following suit. Glancing over at each other for a moment, they began the trek. The road before them, they were linked in the common goal of reaching the hold.

Until it started raining an hour into the hike.

Blake and Weiss didn't mind the drizzle - it was when it turned into a furious downpour that they let out a pair of cries, looking for the nearest possible shelter. Holding her bag above her head, Blake noticed a dark hole digging into the side of the mountain.

"There! A cave!" She shouted to the mage. Weiss nodded, and the two trekked towards it, careful not to slip on the slick slope along the way. Blake let out a sigh of relief as they found it was uninhabited, and the air inside was dry.

Weiss let out a groan, leaving her bags on the ground and sitting on the rocky floor.

"First a bandit attack, then monsoon. What's next? Dragons?"

"Things aren't so bad." Blake said with a hum, looking through her belongings to assess the water damage. Luckily, it had only soaked through to her clothing, her books remaining untouched. The thief set out the dripping garments carefully on the floor before standing up again. Weiss looked at her quizzically.

"Where are you going?"

"We need a fire, or we'll freeze to death." She stated simply. "If I bring the wood back damp, do you think you could still start it?"

"I should certainly hope so." The mage smirked, flicking open a spark of flame in her palm before extinguishing it. "Just… don't be out too long."

"I won't." Blake promised before stepping into the torrent, shivering and pulling her hood over her head for at least some shelter.

It didn't take long before she had an assortment of wood and twigs, huffing as she brought them into the cave. A pair of rabbits, throats slit already, dangled from her fist as she smiled softly at the thought of roasted meat. Weiss had pulled out a number of herbs and vegetables, setting them gently on her bag when Blake returned, glancing up. A smile broke out on her face as she saw the small game.

"I should be able to make a stew from those." She suggested. Blake nodded, gently setting them next to her as she sat down, piling the wood into a decent stack. She sat back to begin skinning the rabbits, watching Weiss out of the corner of her eye.

The girl was concentrating, her outstretched arm aimed towards the wood. With a hot flare, flames shot outwards, enveloping the wood in fire, the flames licking gently at the ceiling. She glanced up, locking eyes with Blake for a moment, the thief instinctively looking away with a light blush.

Once Weiss had put the meat and other ingredients into a pot, fashioning a stand to hang it over the crackling fire, the two sat, finally allowing themselves a moment's rest. Blake peeped over, finding the mage staring absentmindedly at the roof of the cave.

"...So, uh… you really don't know how to use a sword?" Weiss grumbled slightly, looking off to her side.

"...Not entirely, no. I understand the basics - just stick them with the pointy end, right?" Blake chuckled.

"I suppose so."

"Of course I've tried lessons, which my father insisted on, but I could never quite take to it." The mage continued. "I excelled in the magicka side of studies - my older sister was always the swordswoman between the two of us."

"I suppose it comes down to some teachers aren't as good as others-"

"It wasn't that." Weiss scoffed, glancing over. "We had the best instructor money could buy. It was just… me." The two sat in silence, the stew bubbling softly over the fire to break the silence hanging heavy between the two of them. Blake's thoughts raced over the new information she had just learned about her new companion, her mouth opening and her words catching in her throat. She tried again, this time managing to get them out.

"I could teach you if you wanted…" Weiss looked over, her interest obviously picking up.

"You could?"

"It's not so hard if you think about it differently." The thief shrugged. "It just takes some footwork and determination." Ice-blue orbs seemed to waver slightly, an unusually warm smile breaking out on Weiss's face.

"A-Absolutely. I'd love to learn from you."

"Alright then." Blake smiled back, sitting up and stretching out her arms with a crack. "But let's start lessons later; this stew is smelling fantastic."

It tasted even better, as the two found out. They ate in relative silence, but the air felt warm and friendly as they devoured the meal, not even a drop left in the pot. Weiss set it just outside the cave to soak in the rain before turning back to Blake, finding the thief standing up and rustling around her bag. She pulled out a steel sword, brandishing the blade carefully.

"Grab your sword. I'll run you through some basics to see just what I'm working with." The mage nodded, quickly going to pick up her rapier and bringing it back towards the raven-haired girl. Blake held out her sword, feet apart, directing Weiss to do the same. Gently, she brought her sword to tap against Weiss's with a sharp 'ping.'

"Everything you do in combat needs to be instinct and intention." She instructed. Intensity glinted in her amber eyes as the locked onto Weiss's. The mage gulped, readying herself. Blake brought her sword back slowly.

"Now I'm going to swing, and you parry the blow, alright? Don't forget to watch your footwork." The blade swung down faster than the girl had expected, and she quickly swiped her sword to the side. Blake's expression changed to something akin to surprise before straightening again.

"That was sloppy. Remember, you should act on intention AND instinct; don't rely too heavily on one or the other." She brought her sword to her side. "Again."

Weiss was ready for the second swing, the parry coming off much smoother than before. Blake nodded as her sword was darted to the side.

"Thrust!"

On instinct, the mage shot her arm forward, her mind realizing at the last second that she was aiming for a kill. Before she could stop her blade, Blake whipped her sword back, swiping the rapier to the side and causing it to miss it's mark. The thief smiled.

"That's better. A good strike like that would tear into most bandits and the like." Weiss smiled in pride until suddenly whipping her sword up again, blocking a strike from the thief. She gawked in indignation, Blake smirking.

"We're not done. Let's start adding footwork into it." Carefully, the raven-haired faunus pushed forward, the soft ears above her head twitching intently as she honed in on the mage. Each blow from the sword was another step back for the mage, barely able to keep up with the flurry of strikes and swipes.

 _A thief? Besting the daughter of the Archmage of Winterhold?_ Weiss scoffed, her vision starting to tunnel on the thief. _Unheard of._ Fueled by frustration, the girl increased the speed of her movements, swiping Blake's weapon to the side before pushing a counterattack of her own. Now it was Blake's turn to fall back, keeping up well against the flurry of piercing stabs, but doing just poorly enough that Weiss was gaining the upper hand. She noted that the girl's feet shuffled quickly, scuffing up the cave's floor as they went.

"Remember your footwork." She teased lightly. The joking tone left her suddenly as she felt her ankles being swept out from underneath her, her body crumpling to the floor and knocking the wind out of her. She looked up, finding the needle-like blade of Weiss's rapier inches from her face.

"How's that for footwork?" The girl smirked haughtily, finally pulling her sword away. Blake chuckled softly.

"Well, you're certainly a fast learner. But you forgot one thing…" She grinned before kicking her leg out, causing Weiss to lose her balance and fall forward.

"Always be ready for anythOOF!" The faunus cried out as a weight slammed down on her torso, crushing the air right out of her lungs. She realized suddenly that she had miscalculated just _where_ Weiss was going to fall.

Her dazed, fuzzy vision slowly came back, glancing up. The blushing face of Weiss met her, eyes wide and gawking. Blake held her gaze a moment before looking away suddenly, her face several shades darker as she shakily stood up, extending a hand to the mage.

"Y-You, uh, did good."

"T-Thanks." Weiss stuttered back, letting the thief help her to her feet. They stood awkwardly in the middle of the cave, the fire's embers crackling softly as it began winding down to it's last legs. Blake cleared her throat.

"We should, uh… we should get some sleep." Weiss nodded, suddenly looking up with a look of regret dancing across her features.

"I just remembered. We… may not have anything to sleep _on._ After all, we planned on being in Whiterun by now, and I had intended to simply rent us a room at the tavern." Blake let out a sigh, but nodded gently.

"Can't be helped. We'll just have some extra kinks to work out of our backs tomorrow." She walked over to the wall, slumping against it with a grunt. Weiss quietly followed, and sat beside her. Rain sounded outside, the only thing breaking the silence around them. Blake felt herself succumbing to her exhausted body when Weiss spoke up again.

"Thank you. For coming with me." Blake scoffed, eyes closed.

"It's a job. I wouldn't just turn on a contract."

"What I mean is… well, if you hadn't been there today, I'm not sure what I'd have done. I'm not sure what… what _they'd_ have done." The mage shuddered softly, letting out a soft noise that caused Blake to crack an eye open to look at her. The mage glanced over, showing gratitude brimming in her eyes.

"So… thank you."

Blake held her gaze for a moment before smiling gently.

"Get some sleep. We have a long trek in a short while." She said softly before closing her eyes again, opening herself to the swarming darkness of slumber. The last thing she felt was what she _thought_ was a person, slumping against her shoulder and burrowing softly against her arm. Before she could see what it was, however, she too gave in, swept off to roam the streets of her dreams, reflecting on everything she was about to embark on, for better or for worse.


End file.
